Hem gauge



July 31, 1.951 R. o. RUNDQUIST HEM GAUGE Filed Dec. 17, 1947 ii k iifl.

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Patented July 31, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

. HEM GAUGE.

Roy- 0. Rundquist, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Pelouze Manufacturing 00., Evanston, Ill.,. at corporaticnnflllinois Application December 17, 19.41,. S.erial.No..792;214.

'This invention relates to -a measuring device, and particularly to a hem gauge. 7

There has-heretofore been disclosed an unusually simple and effective hem gauge comprising an elongated strip having a longitudinally disposed slot therein and measuring indicia along such slot. A marker'elementwas provided to cooperate' with such measuring indicia comprising anelement formed from a spring metal band having' a' reducedwidth neck portion resiliently engaged in the elongated slot and? a: laterally projecting pointer portion which cooperated. with theindicia to indicate the position of'the marker element'relative to one end of the gauge. This general type of gauge is shown in United States Patent No. 1,700,857, issued Februarys, 1929;

Ina gauge of this type, it is, o1":- course, necesthat the. marker. element have; a certain amount of. resilience. so". that such. marker elementresilientl'y' exerts a substantial lateral force againstthe' side walls of" the supporting. slot in order to assure that-the marker. elementwill remainat a selected position. along such slot; As a result, when the. marker element is shifted along the slot, the-cooperating walls of the neck portion of the marker element are urged against the flat walls with considerable. force;

' So long as the slotted, body portion of. the gauge was formedof: materialof greater. or. substantially equal hardness to. thati'of the. marker element, no. particular-deterioration of the gauge was produced by the successive movements of the marker element along the. slot, although it was observed that it was diflicult to:- produce a smoothmovementof the; marker element. As a resultof, recent developments, ithas becomeeconomicallyfeasible-to utilizematerials other. than steel for forming the slotted body. portion the gauge; For: example, aluminum, magnesium, al.- loys; of such metals, or. various plastic. compositions. are: nowavailable at. prices comparable-.- to that of steel andthe corrosion. and tarnish re.- sistin properties of these. materials make; itextremely desirable: that they be. employed. in. an instrument such as. a hem gauge; which is: expected. to provide a lifetime ofservice. for"; the purchaser. However, when a spring metal markor: element constructed. in accordance. with. the disclosure. of; the. abovereferred .tepatentjawas uti; lized: in. conjunction. with a slotted 1' body member. formed of one of thesenewmaterials, the substantial difference: in hardness of thespring metal; marker element. caused; the; leading: edges on such; marker: element. to; gouge; scratch and otherwise mar. the supporting-sidewalls of; the:-

2 slot formed inthe softermaterial. As a result, the; gauge; could. be utilized forrelatively few measuring operations before the interior surfaces of the: slot were sufiiciently roughened as l to make; the operation of the gauge very'difli'cult,

if not impossible.

Furthermore, it is; desirable that the marker element be formed ofhardened spring steel, but the configuration of suchprevented the forming of; the: marker from spring, hardened material.

Accordingly, it is an object ofthis invention to. provide. an improved measuring device, such as a. hem gauge, of the type whereina marker element is slidablymovable. along: and. supported. by an elongated slot provided .inthe body: portion of the gauge.

Anotherobject' of thisinvention is to. facilitate the manufacture of the; resilient marking element by forming; suchielement" from soft steel andsubsequently heat-treating to produce the desired resilient. characteristics;

A. particular object of thisv invention is;to' pro? vide anv improved hem gauge of. the slot type wherein a deformed spring band markingel'ement is positionable alonga supportingslot by virtue of the inherent resilience of such band, andwherein the body, portionof' the. gauge definingv the measuring slot is formed from material having, substantially less. hardness. than. that of the: spring band" The specific nature of the invention, as. well. as other objects. and. advantages thereof, willlbecome apparent" to those skilled. in. the. art, from thefollowing detail description. of the annexed sheet oi drawingswhichby way of, preferredexample only, illustrate.v one specific. embodiment of the. invention.

On the.- drawings:

Figure '1. is anelevational view of; an. assembled hem. gauge. embodying this invention;

Eigure; 2 is an enlarged scale sectional. view taken.- on. the plane II-II of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a. partial sectional vview taken: onthe plane. III-.-III- ofzcF-igure. 2.

shown on the. drawings:

Referring; to: Figure" 1-, the measuring device embodying this invention-comprises an; elongated sheetelike body member: I 0 having" a: central slot ll extending substantially its; full length; At one: end, the-body member'is 'slightlvtransversely enlargedto: provide :agraspin'gtportion I 0a which may, desired, be supplied with a square aperture; lob: to: facilitate the; grasping of: the gauge by the fingersotthe; users.

1 At? the opposite: end'... the; body? memben I0; is

provided with a pointer-like lateral projection I2 whose edge is flush with the side edge of the body member In and is utilized as a reference point for the gauge. Extending along the gauge from such reference edge are engraved or embossed measurin indicia l3 which, of course, are laid out in inches or any other convenient measuring unit. a

To cooperate with the indicia I3, a marking element M is provided which is supported by, and slidable in, the slot II. The marking element I 4 is preferably integrally formed from a band of spring steel or other material having similar permanent resilient properties. Marker M is of generally U-shaped configuration, havingthe closed end portion Ma thereof somewhat cylindrically enlarged to provide a bulbous graspin portion by which the marker may be conveniently moved by the fingers of the operator. The free ends Mb and Me of the marker Mare each bent to project laterally with respect to the length of the body member II] and in opposite direction relative to each other and form arm portions, which when inserted in the slot II and the marker M is in place therein, are inclined from their inner ends toward the blade and yieldably engage the blade at their outer ends and urge the bulbous portion Ma towards the slot II. The one free end Me is somewhat larger than the other free end and is shaped into pointer configuration as indicated at Md. Pointer portion Md projects laterally beyond the longitudinal edge of the body member ID and hence provides a convenient visual indicationof the position of the marker element M with respect to the scale indicia I3.

Intermediate the bulbous portion Ma and the laterally extending free ends Mb and Me, the marker element M defines a neck portion Me wherein the opposed portions of the band are substantially parallel. Obviously, the effective lateral width of neck portion Me may be varied by stressing of the bulbous portion Ma. The unstressed lateral width of neck portion Me is preferably selected to be somewhat greater than the width of the slot II so that when the marker element M is assembled to the body member In with the neck portion Me engaged in the slot I I, a substantial inward displacement of the neck portion Me wil be produced, thus producing a resilient biasing force which with the biasing force of the arm portions Mb and Mc hold the outer surfaces of neck portion Me snugly in engagement respectively with the opposed side walls of the longitudinal slot II. The amount of this frictional force is selected to be sufficiently large so as to insure that the marker element M will remain in any selected position along the slot II, irrespective of accidental bumps or jarring of the gauge. of course, to assemble the marker element M in the slot I I, the two slot defining portions of the body member IE! are stressed apart sufficiently to permit the bulbous portions Ma of the marker M to be inserted therethrough, whereafter the marker element M i secured in assembly to the body member In by virtue of the fact that the bulbous portion I 4a and the laterally extending end portions Mb and I 4c are both transversely larger than the width of the slot I I and respectively disposed on opposite sides of the body member I0.

In order to permit the body member ID to be formed from aluminum, magnesium or plastic materials having non-corrosive properties, this invention provides a unique configuration of the neck portion Me of the marker element M. As best shown in Figure 3, all four of the edges I 4f '4 of the neck portion Me, i. e., both the leading and trailing edges of each arm defining the neck portion Me, are shaped so as to present a generally arcuate surface into engagement with the respective side walls of the slot I I, as the marker element M is moved therealong. In particular, as shown in Figure 3, all four of the edges I U are deformed inwardly by a stamping operation thus providing arcuate surfaces Mg. This construction insures that, as the marker element M is moved along the slot II, neither the leading nor the trailing edges of the neck portion Me of such marker element will tend to dig in or gouge the relatively soft material of the body member I0. Therefore, even though a substantial compressive force is exerted against the side walls of the slot II by the inherent resilience of the marker element M, such marker element may be freely slid along the slot II in a smooth, continuou movement. Obviously, such smooth, continuous movement of the marker element M greatly facilitates the setting of the marker element M to any desired point of the scale indicia I3.

With the described configuration of the marker element, it is impractical to form such from spring hardened steel. In accordance with this invention the marker element M is formed completely from soft steel, or the like, and is then heat treated to provide the desired spring temper.

Therefore, from the foregoing description it i apparent that this invention provides an improved hem gauge which will permit the use of non-corrosive and non-tarnishable materials to form the body portion of the gauge without subjecting such relatively soft material to the digging, scratching or gouging action of the spring metal marking element. Furthermore, the sliding movement of the marking element alon the body portion of the gauge is free from annoying jerks and binds which have characterized gauges heretofore known. As a result, the adjustment of the gauge may be more conveniently and rapidly effected. Lastly, the marker element may be formed of soft steel spring-tempered without complicating the manufacturing process.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be modified through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted herein otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a measuring device having an elongated metal blade of a strip-like form having a scale extending along one side thereof and a longitudinal slot extending therealong inwardly of said scale, with a pointer-like projection extending from one end of said body adjacent said scale, the improvement comprising a pointer slidable along said slot and formed from an integral piece of relatively thin strip spring metal, said pointer having a bulbous outer portion of a generally cylindrical formation for engagement with the fingers, an intermediate restricted neck portion slidably engaged in said slot for movement therealong, and also having oppositely projecting relatively flat end portions inclined from the opposite end of said neck portion from said bulbous portion toward said bulbous portion and blade when said pointer is in place therein and yieldably engaging the portion of said blade opposite from said scale and resiliently urging said bulbous portion toward said slot, and-the neck portion of said pointer intermediate said bulbous portion and said fiat projectin end portions being inwardly flared at all four edges thereof and forming opposite arcuate engaging surfaces slidably engaging opposite sides of said slot.

2. A spring metal marker element for a slottype hem gauge formed of material of less hardness than said marker element, comprising a band formed into generally U-shaped configuration and having the closed end thereof forming a bulbous configuration and the free ends respectively projecting laterally in opposite directions, the portion of said band intermediate said bulbous portion and said laterally projecting free end portions being closely spaced, thereby providing a neck portion whose efiective width is variable by stressin said bulbous portion, said neck portion being adapted to be resiliently compressed when inserted in the slot of a hem gauge, said laterally projecting end portions being inclined inwardly from said neck portion toward the hem gauge when said marker element is inserted therein, to yieldably engage the blade of the gauge adjacent their ends, all four edges of said neck portion being bent inwardly to present arcuate surface engagement with the supporting slot Walls of the gauge blade in either direction of movement of said marker element therealong.

3. In a measuring device having an elongated, strip-like body defining a longitudinally disposed slot, the improvement comprising a pointer integrally formed of spring steel, said pointer having a bulbous portion, oppositely projecting end portions and an intermediate neck portion disposed therebetween, said neck portion being resiliently compressible in a lateral direction to 6 be insertable in and slidably movable along said slot, and said oppositely projectin end portions each being of substantially greater width than said slot to retain said pointer and assembly therein and yieldably engaging the side of said strip-like body opposite from said bulbous portion adjacent their outer ends, both the leading and trailing edges of said neck portion being inwardly deformed so as to present substantially arcuate engagin surfaces at both said leading and trailing edges to allow free movement of said pointer along said slot and to prevent gouging of the wall surfaces of said slot by movement of said pointer therealong in either direction, said pointer being completely formed with the metal thereof in an unhardened condition and then being heat-treated to produce a sprin temper therein.

ROY O. RUNDQUIST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 833,168 Keller Oct. 16, 1906 893,881 Smith July 21, 1908 1,406,774 Straka Feb. 14, 1922 1,458,046 Garlatti June 5, 1923 1,700,857 Schultz Feb. 5, 1929 2,408,746 Evert Oct. 8, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 38,020 Austria July 26, 1909 

